The HISD board of trustees approved the creation of the position at an Oct. 28 meeting.
The director's responsibilities will include reviewing district policies to ensure they are not causing unintended harm and guiding future policies.
Lisa Patterson, assistant superintendent of human resources for the district, said the position will benefit many groups who might otherwise be left out of the conversation.
"Ageism is a part of diversity, our veterans, our military staff—there's a number of different areas that we want to make sure we are taking care of properly," Patterson said. "Diversity is well more than just race."
Patterson said district leaders hope to fill the position by December, but it will prioritize finding the right candidate over meeting that deadline.
"We definitely don't want to rush it," Patterson said. "We're going to be actively recruiting and posting on networking sites so that we can find the candidate that really meets the needs of the position."
